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Sign of a Storm
Note: Sign of a Storm is the first chapter of the Jinki Fragments arc, and the first chapter of Part V. Silent Revenge In the middle of the calm afternoon, the villagers of an unnamed Rukongai district. Unlike many of the others, that were either too high-class, or complete slums, this was an average village-esque district. Everything was ordinary, nothing "jumped out of the page" here. However... there was her. Her name was Rōsa, and was admired by all of the district's men and women alike. Men desired her, women wanted to be her. She had it all. Brains, looks, street-smarts, physical prowess, so she claimed. She was an unrivaled woman in this village, and knew this quite well. Fact is, her flaw was that she was too perfect. Because of this, she felt like everything came to her naturally; that she didn't need to work at anything. Yes, indeed she did, and thought everybody around her was meant to provide a foundation for her to stand on, as they didn't deserve to be equals with a being such as herself. The day ended, and Rōsa left the bar that she frequented on particular nights. "Goodnight Rōsa-sama!" called out multiple villagers, all wishing to wish her farewell. She walked down the long dirt road, and noticed how she was alone tonight; something she found odd. She continued on her way... until she heard a voice... "Rōsa... ''-sama'', huh? It's rather ironic, isn't it? Considering." said this voice. Rōsa froze where she stood in complete fear, and looked around frantically. "W-who's there...?! Show y-yourself...!" Out came a man with a tattered kimono, and despite this unusual appearance, Rōsa was not fooled. She knew who this was. "No... it..." she found herself unable to even form a statement. "Ah... you remember me, don't you? Dear sister..." he mused, stepping forward as he came close to the frightened woman. Rōsa stood where she was, despite the man closing in on her. "N... No... Y... You're supposed... to be... de..." But once more, she found herself incapable of finishing what she began speaking. The man smirked, "Dead? Was that the word you were looking for? Oh... I am dead, I'm afraid. Nothing can change that... dear... sister." he mused calmly once more. Unable to stand this, Rōsa forced herself to move and turned around, preparing to run far away from this man. However... this plan quickly failed. A blade burst right through her chest as she froze once again, a lifeless look on the face that so many people remarked as being full of life and joy. That same face... was now nothing but a look of fear. The blade came right out of her chest, as quickly and forcefully as it went in, and was revealed to be the doing of the unusual man. As she fell to her knees, she began to slowly turn her head to look at the man, gasping for air despartately. "How funny... This reminds me of back then... Though, I was the one on the floor, wasn't I? Don't worry... I'll gladly allow you to switch roles this time... dear... Sister." he stated, putting a mocking emphasis on the ending of his statement. He swung his blade once more, and just like before, it cleanly cut right through her... And this beautiful face that so many people loved... Flew into the night sky, along with a crimson torrent of her blood. News of the Incident Rukia Kuchiki, a captain of the , rushed through the 's barracks as the full moon finished rising in the sky. Terrible news had just arrived from the Rukongai, and the Gotei 13 was assembling to deal with the bad news. Suddenly, the feline figure of Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi appeared beside her. "Rukia-taichō! Are you on your way to the assembly?" he asked in a booming voice. "I am indeed, Mitsuyoshi-dono. What do you know of the news?" Rukia responded as they leaped over another building. "A girl has been murdered in the Rukongai. The spiritual pressure remains around the home is too thick to be any normal Shinigami. A state of emergency has been declared." Yagyū explained. Both arrived at the Captain-Commander's personal home, and joined the rest of the captains as they awaited the upcoming briefing. Before long, each of the twelve great Captains had arrived in the hall, awaiting the statement of their Captain-Commander. It was decided that the former Captain-Commander, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who was noted to have returned after the revelation of Captain-Commander Akujin, would retire permanently to the zero division. News buzzed along the Seireitei for weeks as to who would replace the all-powerful Yamamoto. It was rather odd that they would be introduced to this new Captain-Commander, in the midst of the Rukongai incident. The twelve Captains stood in their respective spots, and awaited the arrival of the new Captain-Commander. Soon enough, the gates opened, as a small white-haired child, wearing a long-sleeved haori, began making his way to the main seat. It took little time for the Captains to notice the First Division insignia on the back of this child's haori, and soon enough, two and two were added together. Rukia gave a comically surprised look as the new Head-Captain stepped into the meeting room. "That....Is that the new Captain-Commander?! He's even smaller than Hitsugaya-taichō!" Rukia mentally exclaimed. Yagyū didn't outwardly express his surprise, but inside, he was equally shocked, "Who let the kid in here? Is he really capable of leading the Gotei 13?" the large cat thought. The white-haired child walked to the throne-like seat, and sat down, looking to the other Captains. His insomnia-esque eyes looked around the room, as he then closed his eyes. "Greetings. I am Mikami Karasumori. And I will be your new Captain-Commander. But more on that later..." he started, looking over to the Captain of the Sixth Division, Kimiya Kuchiki. "Kuchiki-taichō, of the Sixth Division. Leader of the Investigative Squad. Please step forward and note your findings." he stated, and although calmly, the hint of a demand was evident. Kimiya rubbed the back of his head and sighed, stepping out to the middle of the two rows of Captains, facing Mikami. "Well... based on what we've found, the victim was stabbed through the chest from the back, and then beheaded. While it could be said that it was a normal incident... the reishi residue found at the area of the attack was much too dense to be that of a normal soul, and probably even more dense than that of a regular Shinigami. That's... really all we know, though." Mikami looked at Kimiya silently, and then looked around to the listening Captains. "Well then... Because of this lack of evidence, I request that an emergency squadron be formed to track down this murderer. Captain of the Third Division, Captain of the Seventh Division, and Captain of the Thirteenth Division. Rangiku Matsumoto. Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi. And Rukia Kuchiki. You three will be in charge of tracking down any information you can. Make sure to not leave any place unchecked, not even the World of the Living. All remaining Captains, save for the Captain of the Fourth Division and Captain of the Twelfth Division, will be permitted war-time permission to release their Zanpakutō, and will aid in the defense of the Seireitei, in the event that this enemy should attack us. In addition, I ask that Captains request of their Lieutenants to keep tabs on all districts of the Rukongai for any sort of foul play." he finished, narrowing his eyes as his hand came up to begin playing with his curly hair. "That is all. Dismissed." After the meeting was dismissed, Rukia and Yagyū gathered at the back of the meeting room, awaiting Captain Matsumoto. "What should we do first, Kuchiki-taichō?" Yagyū asked. "We need to appoint a leader to our squad. After that, we need to begin our search. We can start at the site of the murder and go from there." Rukia surmised. "What say you, Matsumoto-san?" Rangiku looked at the two of them, and yawned very loudly. "Do we really need to start tonight...? I need my beauty sleep, after all! It's not like, this." she began, gesturing to her body and her face and hair. "Happens overnight!" she stated with a comic look on her face. Rukia frowned in comical annoyance, "If you don't get yer ass moving, you'll look like that in the morning!" she shouted, pointing at Yagyū. Yagyū's eyes narrowed, annoyed, "How unprofessional..." he muttered. Rangiku groped her large breasts with a comic look on her face, "Rukia-chan's just angry because she's only an A-cup~" she mused, grinning with closed eyes. Rukia comically held up her fists, "Oh yeah?! Well why don't I cut them off for you! Hm? See who's laughing then!" she shouted. All the while, Yagyū sat as he awaited the two women to quick squabbling. "Sheesh, what a pain." he muttered. Both Rangiku and Rukia looked at the animalistic man with anger-induced comic faces. "Shut it!" they both yelled. In the World of the Living Enter the Other... Morning arrived in the World of the Living, the sun rising up and its light shining in every window of Karakura town. However, none more so than Karakura High School Student, Minato Kuramoto. The 17-year-old boy sat up at his bed, and yawned loudly, stretching out his arms. Today was Monday... the very day Minato depised amongst the other six. It meant the beginning of his school week, and it was a place he wasn't very fond of going. After taking care of his morning rituals, Minato began his walk to Karakura High. He was a Senior this year, and knew that this torturous experience would soon be over in a few months. Monday wasn't all bad though, for Minato. After all, he had his Taekwondo teaching to look forward to at the end of his school day. The day eventually did pass, and Minato began to leave the school, heading for the Taekwondo school he had been teaching at for three years now, Kawahiru Dojang. Minato was the youngest instructor at the school, albeit the only other instructors there was a college student by the name of Seiwa Yumehira, and the school's Head Instructor, addressed by Minato as Kawahiru-shishō. Minato reached the school, and opened its traditional-styled doors... ...Only to be greeted with Seiwa, flying right into the young high school man, sending both of them into the ground. Kawahiru-shishō stepped out, with a comic annoyed face. "C'mon, Seiwa! Is that all you've go- Oh. Minato-kun's here." he noted, as both of them stood up. Minato bowed softly, as was the honor that was displayed between a Taekwndo student and his master. Minato then stepped inside, as Seiwa followed him inside. The two then began the day, teaching the little kids that came with their parents to learn Taekwondo. All the while, while Minato taught his share of classes, Kawahiru-shishō had kept his eyes on the boy. "Hmm..." came to his mind, as the head instructor closed his eyes. Before long, the teaching day ended, and the last of the students left, as did Seiwa. Only Minato and Kawahiru-shishō were left. "Minato-kun, when you plannin' on testing for your next rank? You seem rather ready." he noted. Minato chuckled, rubbing his head nervously. "I was planning to, but I still need to work on my Yoo Sin." he answered. "Ah well, I'm heading out myself. Be sure to lock up before you leave." he stated, as the elder man walked out of the place. Little did Minato know, this man had not left. Rather, he went to the back of the school, and back there, there stood a large structure that one without spiritual awareness could not see. Seireitou and Raian He walked inside, and found a flight of stairs leading to an underground area. Down there, was a massive landscape, featuring mountains and rocky terrains for miles and miles. The man walked all the way down, and noticed a brown-haired man sitting cross-legged on one of these rocky structures. The silver-haired instructor smirked, "Waiting here long, Raian-san?" Raian slowly got to his feet, grinning as he did, "Yeah, for a damn hour!" Raian responded comically. "But don't sweat it. Its nothing a good ol' glass of sake can't solve." He walked over to greet his old friend closer to the stair case, "What'd you call me over here for?" Seireitou sat down on one of those rock structures, and kept one leg ontop of his knee, in a sideways fashion. "It's about that kid. Minato. You remember him, right?" he asked. Raian scratched his head, "I believe so. He's that Fullbring user, right?" he asked. "Sure, let's go with that." Seireitou answered, his eyes closed. "I've noticed it for a while now... but none so much as after you awakened your own power. I believe he... may be a Jinki Fragment." he explained. Raian looked down, surprised, "A Fragment?! We found another one?! That's...good news. Isn't it?" he asked. Seireitou smirked, and then sighed. "It would be... if not for the fact that your boy's on the move. You know who I mean..." he mused, obviously refering to the man who was hunting the Fragments. "Meiga...and Mūkade." Raian snarled. "So, that's what this is about. You want me to gear up and go after them? MisQ is almost recovered from their seven years in that seal." The silver-haired man shook his head. "No. In fact, quite the opposite. I want you to use Minato as bait." he stated bluntly, much to the surprise of his friend. Raian sat down across from his friend, crossing his hands in front of his face, pondering the request deeply, "Bait you say? Why would you use the boy as bait. He could get killed." he said, his voice dropping low. "You misunderstand." he explained, crossing his arms as he stood back up. "I want you arrange a MisQ member to attack Minato on the streets... and force him to awaken his 'supposed' Fragment power. Though... if he isn't, it might cause the young boy's death..." he thought for a moment. He then brought up a small japanese fan to his face, and snickered. "Oh well, life is full of guess-and-check!" "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Raian asked comically, "Very well. I'll send Yūbi. His Shinigami and Fullbring powers will be perfect for this. You can expect him tomorrow." Seireitou bore a small smile toward his friend. "Excellent. Minato should be out of Taekwondo by 5:30 in the afternoon tomorrow, so... plan accordingly." he mused. The Second One? The next day did approach, as Minato once more returned to the Taekwondo school, and taught his medley of classes. 5:15 soon arrived, and class began to let out. Seireitou walked over to Minato, with a soft smile. "Good job today, Minato. I'm proud to see that you're teaching these kids well." Minato grinned softly, "Thank you, Kawahiru-shishō." he answered, him too getting ready to leave for the day. "Seeya later, Master!" he called out, leaving the school with a sprint for his house. Yūbi touched down on top of the dojo, just as planned. He wore a large sport's jacket and a hat to conceal his identity. His Zanpakutō was clipped on his back by a strap that wrapped around his shoulder. "Show time..." he muttered, flashing away towards Minato. Before striking, Yūbi snapped his finger, replacing the current surroundings with his Fullbring power; an identical dimension. Now the youth couldn't escape. With that, Yūbi sprung his trap. Flashing around the corner, he was face to face with Minato before the boy could realize he was being attacked. With one motion, he drew his sword and swung it for the boy's chest. Minato's eyes widened immediately, his brain completely frozen with shock at was what happening; though, his natural instinct was to dodge, causing him to fall back on his butt, looking up at Yūbi with fright. "W... what the... hell is this...?!" "Minato-san? Forgive me, you mind dying?" Yūbi asked playfully as he swung his sword down at Minato's head. Minato vs Yūbi "D... dying...?" Minato stated with a meek voice, attempting to shift backwards, as he tried to regain composure. "What am I doing...? I'm a Martial artist... Even if this is some strange supernatural thing, I won't show fear toward it...!" he thought to himself, trying to stand to his feet with an angry scowl on his face. "If you attack me, I will not be so kind as to over look it..." he nervously spoke out. Suddenly, Yūbi vanished, appearing directly behind Minato, so that his mouth was next to the latter's ear, "What the hell kinda threat is that?" he taunted. He then drew back and jabbed his blade directly for the youth's back. Using the stepping method that he learned as a first-degree Black belt, Minato effortlessly shifted his body to the side, dodging this sword strike, as he launched his fist out for Yūbi's face. "I... got you...!" Yūbi simply caught Minato's fist in his free hand, "What's with you? Aren't you stronger than this? If you keep fighting like this, you're going to die." Yūbi threatened. As he held Minato's fist in place, he brought his sword to the side, aiming to bifurcate the teenager. Minato's eyes remained fixated on the blade nearing his body, a look of pure fright evident on his face. "No... No... Not like this... Not like... '''this'!"'' he screamed in his head, as some strange spark of energy formed between the men, exploding immediately upon appearing, and seperated the two from eachother. Minato stood his ground, albeit weakly, and began to pant. "What was... what was that...?" "It's starting. Just like Raian's did seven years ago." Yūbi reminded himself. "Command, Kūhaku!" Yūbi's Zanpakutō morphed into the form of a staff, with a knife-like blade on its end. He then put all of his power into the push that propelled him at Minato, aiming his staff at Minato's chest. Minato's eyes immediately lost their color, becoming pure white now as he grabbed the blade with his bare hands, despite his hands beginning to bleed. It was clear... that he had lost consciousness. Before long, he collapsed onto the floor. "Hoo boy..." Seireitou had appeared behind Yūbi, along with Raian. "Well Raian, looks like we weren't wrong to suspect Minato then." Yūbi resealed his blade and placed it back in its sheathe, turning to Raian to see his reaction. Raian's look was grave, but calm. "Indeed we were." Raian replied. "He'll unlock his power soon. Just as I did. Should we have Jackie heal him?" Seireitou narrowed his eyes. "No. Well, no to the first part. I don't think we should allow him to unlock his power." he stated, sighing as he crossed his arms. "Minato isn't you, Raian. He isn't a former Shinigami, who has experience in these type of fights. Even allowing him to begin to awaken his powers will cause Mūkade to quickly become aware of him, putting him at risk." he explained, as he held his finger to his mouth. Suddenly... a large explosion could be heard from afar, ringing both Seireitou and Raian's alarm. As the two looked toward the source of the explosion, they notice the small black void forming at the skies above Karakura. To Be Continued... Shinigami Encyclopedia... :Seireitou held up his pointing stick, tapping his open hand with it. "Today, we'll be talking about Yūbi's Zanpakutō." Suddenly, the screen behind him began to show the scenes of Yūbi releasing his Zanpakutō against Minato. "Yūbi's Zanpakutō is named Kōhaku. It's released by the command... well, "command". It's power is..." but then the screen was shut off, causing Seireitou to form a question mark above his head comically. Yūbi then stepped in, nonchalantly. "It's not time yet for them to know." he mused. Seireitou narrowed his eyes comically, "Party pooper." he replied.